The Greatness of Yamahasya (Yama's Laughter)

Verse 1 (skanda.5.247.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच - ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र यमहास्यमनुत्तमम्। सर्वपापहरं तीर्थं नर्मदातटमाश्रितम्

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca - tato gacchettu rājendra yamahāsyamanuttamam| sarvapāpaharaṁ tīrthaṁ narmadātaṭamāśritam

Shri Markandeya said: "Then, O Rajendra, one should go to Yamahasya, unsurpassed, a ford that removes all sin, situated on the bank of the Narmada."

Verse 2 (skanda.5.247.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच - यमहास्यं कथं जातं पृथिव्यां द्विजपुंगव। एतत्सर्वं ममाख्याहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca - yamahāsyaṁ kathaṁ jātaṁ pṛthivyāṁ dvijapuṁgava| etatsarvaṁ mamākhyāhi paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me

Yudhishthira said: "O foremost of the twice-born, how did Yamahasya come to be upon the earth? Tell me all of this, for I have great curiosity about it."

Verse 3 (skanda.5.247.3)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच - साधु साधु महाप्राज्ञ पृष्टोऽहं नृपनन्दन। स्नानार्थं नर्मदां पुण्यामागतस्ते पिता पुरा

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca - sādhu sādhu mahāprājña pṛṣṭo'haṁ nṛpanandana| snānārthaṁ narmadāṁ puṇyāmāgataste pitā purā

Shri Markandeya said: "Well asked, well asked, O greatly wise one, O joy of kings — I have been well questioned. Your father formerly came to the sacred Narmada for the sake of bathing."

Verse 4 (skanda.5.247.4)

रजकेन यथा धौतं वस्त्रं भवति निर्मलम्। तथासौ निर्मलो जातो धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर

rajakena yathā dhautaṁ vastraṁ bhavati nirmalam| tathāsau nirmalo jāto dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhira

"Just as a garment washed by a washerman becomes spotless, so, O Yudhishthira, he became spotless, like a very Dharmaraja."

Verse 5 (skanda.5.247.5)

स पश्यन्निर्मलं देहं हसन्प्रोवाच विस्मितः

sa paśyannirmalaṁ dehaṁ hasanprovāca vismitaḥ

Seeing that spotless body, Yama, astonished, laughed and spoke —

Verse 6 (skanda.5.247.6)

यम उवाच - मत्पुरं कथमायान्ति मनुजाः पापबृंहिताः। स्नानेनैकेन रेवायाः प्राप्यते वैष्णवं पदम्

yama uvāca - matpuraṁ kathamāyānti manujāḥ pāpabṛṁhitāḥ| snānenaikena revāyāḥ prāpyate vaiṣṇavaṁ padam

Yama said: "How do men, swollen with sin, come to my city, when by a single bath in the Reva the state of Vishnu is attained?"

Verse 7 (skanda.5.247.7)

समर्था ये न पश्यन्ति रेवां पुण्यजलां शुभाम्। जात्यन्धैस्ते समा ज्ञेया मृतैः पङ्गुभिरेव वा

samarthā ye na paśyanti revāṁ puṇyajalāṁ śubhām| jātyandhaiste samā jñeyā mṛtaiḥ paṅgubhireva vā

"Those who, though capable, do not behold the auspicious, sacred-watered Reva — they should be known as equal to the born-blind, or to the dead, or to the lame."

Verse 8 (skanda.5.247.8)

समर्था ये न पश्यन्ति रेवां पुण्यजलां नदीम्। एतस्मात्कारणाद्राजन्हसितो लोकशासनः

samarthā ye na paśyanti revāṁ puṇyajalāṁ nadīm| etasmātkāraṇādrājanhasito lokaśāsanaḥ

"Those who, though capable, do not behold the sacred-watered river Reva" — for this reason, O king, the ruler of the world laughed.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.247.9)

स्थापयित्वा यमस्तत्र देवं स्वर्गं जगाम ह। यमहासेश्वरे राजञ्जितक्रोधो जितेन्द्रियः

sthāpayitvā yamastatra devaṁ svargaṁ jagāma ha| yamahāseśvare rājañjitakrodho jitendriyaḥ

Having established the god there, Yama went to heaven; O king, at Yamahaseshvara, whoever, with anger conquered and senses controlled,

Verse 10 (skanda.5.247.10)

विशेषाच्चाश्विने मासि कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दशीम्। उपोष्य परया भक्त्या सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

viśeṣāccāśvine māsi kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśīm| upoṣya parayā bhaktyā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

especially on the fourteenth of the dark fortnight in the month of Ashvina, fasts with supreme devotion, is freed from all sins.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.247.11)

रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्याद्दीपं देवस्य बोधयेत्। घृतेन चैव राजेन्द्र शृणु तत्रास्ति यत्फलम्

rātrau jāgaraṇaṁ kuryāddīpaṁ devasya bodhayet| ghṛtena caiva rājendra śṛṇu tatrāsti yatphalam

One should keep vigil at night, and light a lamp for the god with ghee, O Rajendra; hear what fruit lies in that.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.247.12)

मुच्यते पातकैः सर्वैरगम्यागमनोद्भवैः। अभक्ष्यभक्षणोद्भूतैरपेयापेयजैरपि

mucyate pātakaiḥ sarvairagamyāgamanodbhavaiḥ| abhakṣyabhakṣaṇodbhūtairapeyāpeyajairapi

He is freed from all sins arising from illicit union, from eating what should not be eaten, and from drinking what should not be drunk,

Verse 13 (skanda.5.247.13)

अवाह्यवाहिते यत्स्याददोह्यादोहने यथा। स्नानमात्रेण तस्यैवं यान्ति पापान्यनेकधा

avāhyavāhite yatsyādadohyādohane yathā| snānamātreṇa tasyaivaṁ yānti pāpānyanekadhā

whatever sin lies in driving what should not be driven, or in milking what should not be milked — thus, by mere bathing, his sins depart in many ways.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.247.14)

यमलोकं न वीक्षेत मनुजः स कदाचन। पितॄणां परमं गुह्यमिदं भूमौ नरेश्वर

yamalokaṁ na vīkṣeta manujaḥ sa kadācana| pitṝṇāṁ paramaṁ guhyamidaṁ bhūmau nareśvara

That man never beholds the world of Yama. This, O lord of men, is the supreme secret of the ancestors upon this earth.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.247.15)

ददतामक्षयं सर्वं यमहास्ये न संशयः। अमावास्यां जितक्रोधो यस्तु पूजयते द्विजान्

dadatāmakṣayaṁ sarvaṁ yamahāsye na saṁśayaḥ| amāvāsyāṁ jitakrodho yastu pūjayate dvijān

For those who give at Yamahasya, everything becomes imperishable — of this there is no doubt. Whoever, with anger conquered, worships the twice-born on the new-moon day,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.247.16)

हिरण्यभूमिदानेन तिलदानेन भूयसा। कृष्णाजिनप्रदानेन तिलधेनुप्रदानतः

hiraṇyabhūmidānena tiladānena bhūyasā| kṛṣṇājinapradānena tiladhenupradānataḥ

by the gift of gold, the gift of land, by abundant gift of sesame, by the gift of a black antelope skin, by the gift of the sesame-cow,

Verse 17 (skanda.5.247.17)

विधानोक्तद्विजाग्र्याय ये प्रदास्यन्ति भक्तितः। हयं वा कुंजरं वाथ धूर्वहौ सीरसंयुतौ

vidhānoktadvijāgryāya ye pradāsyanti bhaktitaḥ| hayaṁ vā kuṁjaraṁ vātha dhūrvahau sīrasaṁyutau

whoever gives with devotion to the foremost of the twice-born, as prescribed, a horse, or an elephant, or a pair of yoke-bearing plow-oxen,

Verse 18 (skanda.5.247.18)

कन्यां वसुमतीं गां च महिषीं वा पयस्विनीम्। ददते ये नृपश्रेष्ठ नोपसर्पन्ति ते यमम्

kanyāṁ vasumatīṁ gāṁ ca mahiṣīṁ vā payasvinīm| dadate ye nṛpaśreṣṭha nopasarpanti te yamam

a maiden, wealth of land, and a cow, or a milk-yielding she-buffalo — those who give thus, O best of kings, do not draw near Yama.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.247.19)

यमोऽपि भवति प्रीतः प्रतिजन्म युधिष्ठिर। यमस्य वाहो महिषो महिष्यस्तस्य मातरः

yamo'pi bhavati prītaḥ pratijanma yudhiṣṭhira| yamasya vāho mahiṣo mahiṣyastasya mātaraḥ

Yama too, O Yudhishthira, becomes pleased in every birth; Yama's mount is the buffalo, and buffalo-cows are his mothers.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.247.20)

तासां दानप्रभावेण यमः प्रीतो भवेद्ध्रुवम्। नासौ यममवाप्नोति यदि पापैः समावृतः

tāsāṁ dānaprabhāveṇa yamaḥ prīto bhaveddhruvam| nāsau yamamavāpnoti yadi pāpaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ

By the power of the gift of those she-buffaloes, Yama surely becomes pleased; that giver does not fall under Yama's power, even if surrounded by sins.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.247.21)

एतस्मात्कारणादत्र महिषीदानमुत्तमम्। तस्याः शृङ्गे जलं कार्यं धूम्रवस्त्रानुवेष्टिता

etasmātkāraṇādatra mahiṣīdānamuttamam| tasyāḥ śṛṅge jalaṁ kāryaṁ dhūmravastrānuveṣṭitā

For this reason the gift of a she-buffalo here is excellent; water should be offered upon her horn; she should be wrapped in a smoke-grey cloth.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.247.22)

आयसस्य खुराः कार्यास्ताम्रपृष्ठाः सुभूषिताः। लवणाचलं पूर्वस्यामाग्नेय्यां गुडपर्वतम्

āyasasya khurāḥ kāryāstāmrapṛṣṭhāḥ subhūṣitāḥ| lavaṇācalaṁ pūrvasyāmāgneyyāṁ guḍaparvatam

Her hooves should be made of iron, well adorned, with a copper-hued back; one should envision the mountain of salt in the east, the mountain of jaggery in the south-east,

Verse 23 (skanda.5.247.23)

कार्पासं याम्यभागं तु नवनीतं तु नैरृते। पश्चिमे सप्तधान्यानि वायव्ये तंदुलाः स्मृताः

kārpāsaṁ yāmyabhāgaṁ tu navanītaṁ tu nairṛte| paścime saptadhānyāni vāyavye taṁdulāḥ smṛtāḥ

cotton in the southern quarter, butter in the south-west, the seven grains in the west, and rice is prescribed in the north-west,

Verse 24 (skanda.5.247.24)

सौम्ये तु काञ्चनं दद्यादीशाने घृतमेव च। प्रदद्याद्यमराजो मे प्रीयतामित्युदीरयन्

saumye tu kāñcanaṁ dadyādīśāne ghṛtameva ca| pradadyādyamarājo me prīyatāmityudīrayan

gold should be given in the north, and ghee too in the north-east; one should offer this, saying: "May King Yama be pleased with me."

Verse 25 (skanda.5.247.25)

इत्युच्चार्य द्विजस्याग्रे यमलोकं महाभयम्। असिपत्त्रवनं घोरं यमचुल्ली सुदारुणा

ityuccārya dvijasyāgre yamalokaṁ mahābhayam| asipattravanaṁ ghoraṁ yamacullī sudāruṇā

Having uttered this before the brahmin, a man is spared the great terror of Yama's world, the dreadful forest of sword-leaves, and the terrible cauldron of Yama,

Verse 26 (skanda.5.247.26)

रौद्रा वैतरणी चैव कुम्भीपाको भयावहः। कालसूत्रो महाभीमस्तथा यमलपर्वतौ

raudrā vaitaraṇī caiva kumbhīpāko bhayāvahaḥ| kālasūtro mahābhīmastathā yamalaparvatau

the fearsome Vaitarani, terror-bringing Kumbhipaka, greatly dreadful Kalasutra, and likewise the twin mountains of Yama,

Verse 27 (skanda.5.247.27)

क्रकचं तैलयन्त्रं च श्वानो गृध्राः सुदारुणाः। निरुच्छ्वासा महानादा भैरवो रौरवस्तथा

krakacaṁ tailayantraṁ ca śvāno gṛdhrāḥ sudāruṇāḥ| nirucchvāsā mahānādā bhairavo rauravastathā

the saw, the oil-press, dogs, dreadful vultures, the hell of the breathless, of great screams, Bhairava, and likewise Raurava —

Verse 28 (skanda.5.247.28)

एते घोरा याम्यलोके श्रूयन्ते द्विजसत्तम। त्वत्प्रसादेन ते सोम्यास्तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः

ete ghorā yāmyaloke śrūyante dvijasattama| tvatprasādena te somyāstīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

These terrors, O best of the twice-born, are heard of in the realm of Yama; by your grace, and by the power of this ford, they turn mild.

Verse 29 (skanda.5.247.29)

दानस्यास्य प्रभावेण यमराजप्रसादतः। नरकेऽहं न यास्यामि द्विज जन्मनि जन्मनि

dānasyāsya prabhāveṇa yamarājaprasādataḥ| narake'haṁ na yāsyāmi dvija janmani janmani

"By the power of this gift, by the grace of King Yama, I shall not go to hell, O twice-born, birth after birth."

Verse 30 (skanda.5.247.30)

यमहास्यस्य चाख्यानमिदं शृण्वन्ति ये नराः। तेऽपि पापविनिर्मुक्ता न पश्यन्ति यमालयम्

yamahāsyasya cākhyānamidaṁ śṛṇvanti ye narāḥ| te'pi pāpavinirmuktā na paśyanti yamālayam

And those men who hear this account of Yamahasya — they too, freed from sin, do not behold the abode of Yama.